The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to chairs having backrests.
The public acceptance and the commercial success with which furniture in general experiences is due, in a large part, to the amount of comfort it provides to the user. The quality, kind and shape of materials with which furniture is constructed thus plays a large part in the comfort quality of furniture, as well as its aesthetic appeal.
One problem which remains a challenge to the furniture industry is to produce an inexpensive chair which provides a high degree of comfort, especially to a user who has occasion to sit on the chair for extended periods of time. This problem manifests itself in a variety of situations such as large conference rooms or auditoriums, where, because of the large number of seats required, an object is to minimize expense as well as provide a comfortable chair. The comfort quality of a chair depends, to a large extent, upon the type and shape of back rest as this aspect is generally the first cause of discomfort to the user.
Because general purpose chairs are constructed with backrests fixed to the seat structure, a person sitting upon the chair is constrained in that position thereby restricting the movement of the user. There is therefore a need for an inexpensive chair with a backrest flexible to an extent which allows the user to alter his upright sitting position and thereby prolong the period of time by which he can comfortably use the chair.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a general purpose chair in which the backrest portion thereof is movable with respect to the seat portion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a general purpose chair in which one portion of the backrest is movable with respect to the other portion of the backrest.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for converting stiff-backed chairs to chairs with flexibly movable backs.